Welcome Happy Home Learning: Nurturing Minds, One Tin at a Time! 🌈


This week we’re so happy to announce that Happy Home Learning are joining Cress as a sustainable new seller with their sustainable home learning games and activities!

Meet Nicola, founder of Happy Home Learning UK, a specialist infant teacher dedicated to making learning easier, active, and fun! Based in The Lake District with her energetic family, Nicola brings a teacher-in-your-pocket solution to families overwhelmed by the school curriculum.

A teacher in your pocket…

The school curriculum can feel overwhelming, and Nicola aims to help families navigate it by providing simple, fun alternatives to learning with sustainable home learning games

Around 80% of a child’s waking hours are spent outside of school!

Let’s make learning easier, active, and more fun!

What are activity tins? Pocket-sized with colour-coded activity cards, these tins offer different levels of challenge. Supplied in sturdy tins, they’re portable resources for fun, active learning.

Question and Answer with Nicola, Founder of Happy Home Learning

1) Why have you decided to join Cress?

“I love Cress’ eco-friendly credentials! Cress’ values resonate with my own, both as a mummy and a small business owner. I pass clothing down from one daughter to another and take care of our clothing so that it can be passed on and reused again. As a small business owner, I also work hard to ensure my business has the smallest possible environmental impact. The activity tin range is designed for a wide age group and the activities, printed in The Lake District, on FSC certified card, are packaged in a sturdy
tin to ensure longevity.”

Explore Nicola’s sustainable mission here.

I also absolutely love the ‘Cress Book Club’ offer; whenever someone sells an item of clothing through the Golden Service, Cress include a free, age-appropriate book along with the sale. Genius!

2) What inspired your business?

Inspired, during lockdown, by the challenges of supporting Rosa-Mae, my Year 1 daughter, with her little sister Edith in tow, and my discovery that teaching in the classroom is very different to teaching at home, I established Happy Home Learning.

I know that the school curriculum can feel overwhelming. Many families aren’t sure where to start with phonics, what is expected by the end of the year and can struggle to keep their child appropriately challenged and enthused with the ever-increasing amount of homework.  Around 80% of a child’s waking hours are actually spent outside of school! 

As your child’s first educator, I know that when you’re equipped with the key skills and knowledge, you will make a huge difference! If you’re a busy parent or carer, looking for simple and fun alternatives to learning using worksheets and apps, I will help you.

In addition to the activity tins, featured on the Cress Website, that support children’s communication skills, well-being, reading, writing and maths, I also offer a range of video tutorials. Designed for busy families, these bite- sized lessons can be simply replicated at home in fun and active ways to support spelling, handwriting and learning the times tables.

Sustainable Home Learning Games

Click here to shop the Dinky Dice fun maths game above

3) What is your favourite product of yours?

This a tricky one! I think at this time of year, I’d have to choose two. The “Christmas Conversation Cards” always give us a chuckle around the breakfast table and we love sharing them with grandparents on Christmas Day. I dig this dinky tin out with the Christmas decorations and enjoy hearing how Rosa-Mae and Edith’s answers change each year. But I also rely on the ‘Walk and Wonder’ tin a lot more in winter. My girls feel the cold! But we love to get out for family walks, especially on Boxing Day with extended family, from our home in The Lake District. I keep a tin in my coat pocket, one in the car and one in the rucksack and often need the more humorous activity cards to help weary legs on soggy journeys home!

4) Do you have any great feedback or memories of children using your products?

Before I set up my own website, I had a little Etsy shop, which supported families to make learning easier, more active and fun during lockdown. It received nearly 140 five-star reviews and each one makes my heart sing! Here are just a few of my favourites about the ‘Walk and Wonder’ activity tin for ages 2-10.

“This is a little miracle in a tin! The cards got my very reluctant little walker out of the house
and enjoying the outdoors again. Perfect for setting fun tasks and giving little ones focus and
drive to keep walking. The cards are educational too.”  Becki

“We LOVE this product! It revolutionised out muddy lockdown walks and worked as well for
our 10 year old as they did for our 6 year old! Easy to slip in your pocket and make any walk
long or short much more enjoyable! Thoroughly recommend!” Fiona

“This is my favourite tin, the children love them and the cards can be used over and over
again. Love the fact they are colour coded with having 3 children of different ages, my eldest
loves taking the lead (which gives me a bit of breathing space too). Fabulous.” Gemma

Sustainable Home Learning Games

Click here to Shop the Eating Out Activity Tin Above

More about Happy Home Learning

Nicola’s passion for sustainability aligns seamlessly with our ethos at Cress, making Happy Home Learning a perfect addition to our community of sustainable sellers. Make learning fun and engaging with Happy Home Learning’s engaging activity tins. Shop the collection and nurture young minds in a fun, active, and sustainable way. Check out their Sustainable Home Learning Games today! 🌱✨

Give Happy Home Learning a follow on Instagram here

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